The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant that is grown as an ornamental for border, patio container or hanging basket. The new cultivar is known botanically as Nemesia×hybrida and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘Fleurbac’. The new variety ‘Fleurbac’ sets few seeds, and exhibits upright compact habit, large fragrant bi-colored flowers, two differently colored bi-color flowers per individual plant, and medium-green leaves.
Fleurbac is a hybrid that resulted from a formal breeding program begun by the inventor in 1998 at her nursery in West Sussex, United Kingdom. The purpose of the breeding program is to produce new varieties of Nemesia that exhibit compact habit, new flower color and improved flower size.
The inventor conducted the first cross-pollination between the inventor's variety of Nemesia plant named ‘Fleurame’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/095,139, filed Mar. 30, 2005) and the inventor's variety of Nemesia plant named ‘Ice Blue’ (unpatented). This cross-pollination process produced many seedlings from which the inventor selected the Nemesia seedling numbered by the inventor as 203 (unreleased, unpatented).
Secondly and separately, the inventor conducted the cross-pollination of Nemesia plant named ‘Ice Blue’ with Nemesia seedling 168, an unreleased and unpatented plant retained by the inventor from previous breeding cycles. Nemesia seedling 168 exhibits compact habit and scented mauve flowers with a yellow eye. From the many seedlings that resulted from this second cross-pollination, the inventor selected a hybrid Nemesia seedling 200, since named ‘Celine’ (unpatented).
Finally the inventor conducted the cross-pollination of Nemesia seedling 203 and Nemesia seedling 200. This cross-pollination produced a large number of seedlings from which the inventor selected the ‘Fleurbac’. The female parent of ‘Fleurbac’ is Nemesia seedling 203 (unpatented) and the male parent of ‘Fleurbac’ is Nemesia seedling 200 (unpatented). The new variety ‘Fleurbac’ was selected by the inventor in 2002 in West Sussex, United Kingdom. The criteria used for selection, was large individual bi-colored flowers, upright compact habit, and two differently colored bi-color flowers per individual plant.
The closest comparison plant is the inventor's variety Nemesia ‘Melanie’ (unpatented) which exhibits bright pink flowers. ‘Fleurbac’ is distinguishable from the comparison plant ‘Melanie’ by flower colors. ‘Fleurbac’ is distinguishable from the female parent plant by upright compact habit, and two individual colors of bi-color flowers per individual plant. ‘Fleurbac’ is distinguishable from the male parent plant by bi-color flowers. The bi-color flower colors of the female parent Nemesia seedling 203 are mauve and pale pink, and the flower color of the male parent, Nemesia seedling 200 is cerise.
‘Fleurbac’ was first asexually propagated by the inventor in 2002 in a cultivated area of West Sussex, United Kingdom using softwood cuttings. The distinguishing characteristics of ‘Fleurbac’ have been determined stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.